Painful finish to a magical season

LYNN -- No other team had advanced this far in the 25-year existence of the program, and Monday afternoon it appeared as if the Wilmington High girls soccer team would continue its magical season.

Belmont 1, Wilmington 0

Despite dominating the second half, the No. 6 seed Wildcats fell to Middlesex League rival Belmont, the No. 8 seed, 1-0, in the Division 2 North final at Manning Field.

The Wildcats had a goal called back, outshot Belmont 6-1 in the second half and held an 8-1 game advantage in corner kicks, but couldn't find the back of the net.

Belmont did on a 30-yard shot in the 17th minute of the first half and that was the difference between the Marauders playing for the Eastern Mass. championship and the Wildcats ending the program's best season with a record of 15-4-3, including a ML Division 2 championship and three postseason victories.

"We threw everything we had at them," said Sue Hendee, Wilmington's head coach since 1988, a year after the program began. "I am incredibly proud of the way the team played today. I think we were lucky the other night (in the sectional semifinal win against Hamilton-Wenham) and today we weren't lucky. I can't fault them for the way they played the game. We played a great game. We started off strong in the first 10 minutes and then we lost our mojo there until the end of the first half. But I tried to let them know the thing that I'm the most proud of is they never ever gave up throughout this entire season.

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They didn't again today. They did almost everything they human possibly could and I'm just so proud of them."

Wilmington's best scoring bid in the first half came in the 11th minute when Middlesex League Division 2 Player of the Year Holly Niemiec sent a beautiful pass up to the right wing to speedy forward Alex Bischoff.

Bischoff, who scored all three of the team's regulation goals through the tournament, caught up to the ball and sent a shot to the low left corner, but it was saved by sprawling keeper Maria-Alice Menatas.

About 12 minutes later, Belmont scored the lone goal of the game as Corrine Ognibene sent a long high shot from 30 yards out that bounced into the far corner.

Wilmington completely dominated play throughout the entire last 40 minutes. Kelly Hartsough -- who played a phenomenal defensive game -- set up Bischoff with another sweet pass and this time Menatras came off her line to barely beat Bischoff to the ball just outside the box.

With less than 15 minutes left, Wilmington had a goal called back as one referee said he blew the whistle and the other said he didn't hear it, and after that the offensive pressure for Wilmington continued, including six second-half corner kicks.

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